In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,708 a booth is disclosed in which a customer may have a photograph taken of himself or herself, and the photograph is placed upon a postcard for transmittal through the mails. In this system there is no provision for making a video recording of the customer.
A. Objects
One object of the present invention is to provide a retail booth in which a customer may make an audio/video recording of himself/herself or play audio/video recordings in the booth.
Another object of the invention is to provide a video recording system in which numbers or letters which do not appear reversed or upside down from the position in which they were when the recording was made.
Another object of the invention is to provide a audio/video recording customer booth in which the customer may observe the recording being made on a monitor as the recording is being made. Another object is to provide a retail video recording booth which is inexpensive to assemble and stock.
B. Summary
A retail video recording booth includes walls which define an enclosed area for a customer to make a video recording. A door assures privacy. A seat or bench allows the customer to sit or stand while he makes the video. When the customer inserts a selected amount of money into a money receptacle a video electronic circuit is activated. When the customer inserts a video tape in a tape receptacle the customer may make a video/audio recording or hear or observe a tape recording already recorded on the tape. If a recording is to be made, the recording which is being made may simultaneously be observed by the customer on a monitor. A camera is provided to make the recording, and a VCR is provided to show the recording. A two-way mirror is provided to transmit the picture being made to the VCR and the monitor at the same time. In a preferred embodiment a second mirror is used to transmit the picture from the monitor the a viewing windows, whereby any letters or numbers which may be used in the recording will appear in the correct form, and will not appear reversed or upside down from the manner in which they were displayed in making the recording. Also in a preferred embodiment, after a recording is made the customer may either review the recording or rerecord over the recorded material.